


Stanley Pines v Awful Decisions

by orphan_account



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Amnesia, Amnesiac Stan Pines, Bad Decisions, Big angst, Bill Cipher Being Bill Cipher, Bill Cipher is His Own Warning, Both of them have one braincell and it has half custody, Fluff and Angst, Ford Pines Needs a Hug, Ford Pines is a Good Brother, I promise i'll stop torturing Stan soon, Manipulative Bill Cipher, Minor Injuries, Oblivious Stan Pines, Panic Attacks, Post-Weirdmageddon, The Pine Brothers are Idiots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:29:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24304447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: An Amnesiac and a Manipulative Demon walk into a mindscape.What could possibly go wrong?----------------After Stanley Pines gets his memory wiped, his family is slowly working on trying to bring his memories back.But unbeknownst to them, a certain yellow triangle isn't exactly gone for good, even if his power is greatly diminished.It's showtime.
Relationships: Bill Cipher & Stan Pines, Dipper Pines & Ford Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines & Stan Pines, Ford Pines & Stan Pines, No romantic ships - Relationship, Please don't tag this as ship, Twincest dni
Comments: 39
Kudos: 39





	1. Unfair

Stanford Pines had lost everything with the pull of a trigger.  


It should have been a win, a victory, a cause for celebration. But it wasn’t. Because either way, Ford had lost.  


Ford had lost Stanley.

Pulling the trigger physically had been terrifyingly easy. Pulling it mentally and emotionally was so hard a century passed in the two seconds it took for him to steel his nerve.  


~~(In the two seconds it had took to not see a child version of his younger brother where he was aiming instead)~~  


In a sense, it had been strikingly similar to some of his space crimes.  


A gun aimed, a trigger pulled, a beam shot. Exactly the same in execution. Entirely different in outcome.  


In all his space crimes, he just had to run away, fast as his legs could go, and the consequences would disappear into the horizon.  


Now it was different.  


“Stanley?” Ford called out to his brother, who at first didn’t even recognize his name.  


“Yeah?” Stan said, smiling.  


“Do you...remember my name? I know it hasn’t even been a day but…” he trailed off in his sadness. He already knew the answer. Why did he ask, he hadn’t meant to actually ask the question. Stan shifted uncomfortably.  


“You. Have multiple nicknames. I’m trying to remember them.”  


Ford’s heart fell deeper, if that was possible.  


“Oh. Okay.”  


“W-wait, wait hold on, I’m tryin’, okay? One started with a P...The other an F. There was another one, one that started with the word Six, but I can’t remember beyond that. ‘M sorry.”  


“It’s fine.”  


“We’re brothers, right? You said that earlier, twins like the kids?” He couldn’t even remember that.  


~~(It’s not fair. This shouldn’t have happened to Stan, he did nothing to deserve it.)~~  


“Yes.”  


“Cool. Aren’t those kids the best? Dipper and Mabel, I love them so much. Reminds me of...I...don’t know.”  


And awkward, heart breaking silence separated the two like a wall.  


~~(It’s not fair.)~~  


“Stanley, I think I’m going to do some lab work now.” Stanford was lying through his teeth and he knew it. Ford entered the code in the vending machine, opening its door.  


“Oh...okay.” Stanley actually looked kind of sad. “When will you be back?”  


Ford would regret only replying “Soon” to his question, but his head buzzed too much for the regret to catch up.  


He held a small glass knick knack in his hand, having snatched it from his lab desk.  


And with his full force, full energy, he hurled it straight at the portal. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces, creating a crash that accurately described his mood right now.  


For laughed bitterly to himself. When Stan still had his memories, Ford had taken every opportunity to belittle him and argue with him.  


And now that he’s gone, ~~(for now, if there’s anything good left in the world let it be only for now)~~ Ford has never wanted to talk to him more.  


All he wanted was a conversation with his brother. All he wanted was the ability to say sorry.  


But that wasn’t fair, was it? It’s not like Stan was dead or an empty shell. He was here.  


But he was changed.  


It’s not fair. Stanley can remember Dipper and Mabel just fine, but he can’t remember Ford?  


_It’s not his fault_ , Ford reminded himself, _he doesn’t get to choose what he remembers or not._  


But still.  


It’s not fair.  


Ford rushed forward in his anger, stomping the pieces of glass in his boots until he couldn’t see the shards anymore.  
  


It’s not fair.  
  


It's not fair.  
  


It's not fair.


	2. Re-First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stanley Pines meets someone completely new and very strange.  
> At the same time, Bill Cipher meets someone he already knows and knows well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Formatting updates.

Meanwhile, Stan himself was asleep on the couch. He found himself in some sort of version of the building he was living in, but it was all grayscale.  
“Huh. This place looks weird,” Stan told nobody in particular.  
“IRONIC, SINCE IT’S YOUR MINDSCAPE, STANLEY,” came a shrill voice that put Stanley on edge.  
“Hey, uh, who said that?” Stan looked around frantically. He still couldn’t see where it was coming from.  
“HEYA FEZ! THE NAME’S BILL. BILL CIPHER. WE’VE MET BEFORE YOUR WHOLE...MIND WIPE THING.”  
“Bill...cipher?” Stan had heard that name before, he knew it.  
“ANYWAYS, LET’S GET ON WITH BUSINESS!” said Bill Cipher, apparently floating down from the rafters.  
“...Are you a dorito in a top hat?”  
“NO!” Bill yelled, annoyed. He honestly did look like a dorito with a top hat. “I’M A DEMON!”  
“My subconscious is trying to tell me something isn’t it? Through this dorito demon?”  
“LOOK STAN,” ~~the dorito~~ Bill Cipher sighed, “I USED TO BE AN AGENT OF PURE CHAOS.”  
“...and?”  
“I AM STILL THAT, BUT LESS NOW. I DON’T WANT TO OUTRIGHT CAUSE ANOTHER WEIRDMAGGEDON-”  
“Weirdma- **what**?”  
“APOCALYPSE. WEIRDMAGEDDON IS AN APOCALYPSE. ANYWAY, I DO WANT TO SOW A LITTLE CHAOS INTO THE RESIDENTS OF GRAVITY FALLS.”  
“Okay, and why’re you telling me?” Stan smiled, tilting his head.  
“YOU, FEZ, ARE GOING TO ACT AS MY COVER. MY MEAT PUPPET.” Bill spread his arms.  
“Uh-” Stan backed up slightly.  
“IT’S NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS, STANLEY!” Bill protested, waving his hands, “YOU JUST...LOSE A TINY BIT OF SLEEP!”  
“Oookay. And what’s in it for me?” Stan said, smoothing back his own hair. This felt...familiar somehow.  
“YOU KNOW HOW YOU DON’T REMEMBER YOUR CHILDHOOD QUITE WELL? WITH OL’ SIXER?” Bill chuckled, summoning a martini from somewhere.  
“Sixer…?” Yet again, that was familiar. Bill twirled his hand, pointing an on-fire finger to Stan’s head. And then, something clicked. “ **SIXER!** ” Stan clutched his head as a flood of memories streamed into his head. It was all about him and Ford ~~(his name was Stanford, he knew that now)~~ , about up to age nine at most. “Oh god, how could I forget this-?”  
“YOU’RE WELCOME, FEZ,” Bill laughed, drinking his martini, “AND THAT’S JUST A TASTE OF THE MEMORIES I COULD HELP YOU GET BACK!”  
“You did this?” Stan had hope in his voice.  
“YEP! I COULD HELP YOU GET YOUR MEMORIES BACK REALLL QUICK. IT WON’T ALL BE LIKE THIS FLASH FLOOD THOUGH. YOUR MEMORIES’LL COME BACK IN ABOUT A WEEK…” Bill put out his hand, which was also on fire. “...IF YOU’LL PARTNER UP WITH ME.”  
It was insanely tempting. A week? If things kept going like this, he’d have his whole life back in a few days.  
But something told Stan not to trust this dorito demon.  
“Can I sleep on it first?” Stan said, playing with his shirt collar.  
“...SURE. BYE-BYE STANLEY, AND REMEMBER MY OFFER!”  
And with a wave of his hand, Stan woke up again.

“Oh, Stanley, you’re awake. Did you have good dreams?” Ford asked, putting a screwdriver away. Had he been watching him sleep?  
“You wouldn’t even know, Sixer.” Stanley enjoyed how Ford’s jaw dropped for a moment.  
“I-i’m sorry, what?”  
“You. Wouldn’t. Even. Know. Sixer!” Stan repeated as slowly as he could, just to tease him.  
“You, y-you remembered, you remembered my- my-” Ford looked like he was gonna cry.  
“Sixer, Ford, calm down, buddy-” Stan stood up, trying to jokingly placate his older brother.  
That was, before Ford launched himself into Stanley’s arms.  
“Woah Ford, woah!” Stanley held Ford close as the older twin cried. Sobbed, more accurately.  
“I missed you.”  
“Well, uh, I don’t have ALL of my memories back yet, Sixer,” Stan said carefully as to not dash Ford’s hopes. Ford looked up at him uncertainly. “I just have a lot of them back.”  
“I-i’m glad, Stanley.”  
Stanley beamed. He had made Sixer proud! That was what was important.  
_Maybe Bill’s offer was worth it after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stanley: this guys vibe is wack and I don't trust him  
> Stanley: I'm going to sell him my soul


	3. Tiny Hints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody thinks to actually warn Stanley against Bill Cipher.  
> And when somebody does, it's almost too late.

“Hey Sixer, weird occurrence happenin’ in my life.” Stan leaned against the counter where Ford was working.  
“Yes, Stanley?”  
“Ford, I’ve been having weird dreams lately. They’re all pretty much the same except for small details.”  
“And what happens in those dreams?” Ford said, only half-interested in the conversation.  
 ~~(But fully happy that Stan knew his name again and was talking to him)~~  
“It’s always about this empty house where I’m bartering with this yellow guy. Also he summons martinis every three minutes.”  
“...That is weird.” Part of Ford’s mind races about the yellow guy maybe being Bill before Ford shut that part down. Bill was dead. He couldn’t hurt them anymore.  
“Yeah. Wonder what Frued would say about that guy?”  
“Probably repressed feelings over something in your life or the other.” Ford moved to go back to work.  
“True, heh!”

“It’s go time, guys!” Mabel yelled happily, holding her pen like a mighty sword, “Whoever draws the weirdest, most imaginative creature winds! 3, 2, 1, go!”  
Stanley watched as the rest of his family scrambled to get ideas and scribble them down. He just couldn’t think of what to draw…  
And then he had an idea. His pencil skritched against his notepad as he drew his Dream Friend. This’ll knock their socks off for sure!  
“Aaaand time!” Mabel yelled, Dipper groaning from not being able to finish his drawing.  
“So, who wants to go first?” Dipper smiled, tapping his foot.  
“Me!” Mabel bounced excitedly. “Here’s my creature, it’s a cat handed, unicorn horned, flying fairy princess-”  
Dipper butt in the second she paused for air.“And mine is a goblin creature with goat ears, a pig snout, and a cyclops eye-”  
“Hey, hey, hey! One at a time! But oh, Dipper, my creature also has only one eye!” Stan laughed, patting Dipper on the shoulder.  
“Oh, can we see it?” Ford leaned onto Stan’s shoulder.   
“Sure! Here’s my creature, Dream Buddy!” Stan presented his creature, the dorito demon, to his family. “Do you like him?”  
Ford’s face fell, and the kids just looked scared and confused.   
“Do you not like him…?” Stan’s smile fell as well. What was wrong with Dream Buddy?  
“Stanley. Do you. Know this creature?” Ford’s voice was eerily, unsettlingly calm.  
“Yeah. It’s Dream Buddy. Figment of my imagination, you know? Nothing serious. I made him up.”  
Stan could IMMEDIATELY tell this was not the right answer.  
“Kids, we’re going to step outside for a moment. Stay here.” Ford took Stan’s hand and practically dragged him out of the room and into the attic.  
“Ford? You’re scaring me here. Did I do something wrong?” Stan sweated.   
“No, Stan. The creature you drew, ‘Dream Buddy’ is...dangerous.” Ford sighed, holding Stan’s forearms. “He’s a manipulative demon who hurts everyone he comes across. Do not trust him.”  
“But-” Stanley started to protest, but Ford held up a hand to stop him.  
“You said you bartered with him, right? Don’t do that, Stanley. I’ve had experience with him before, and it never turns out well in the end-”   
Stan sort-of tuned out the rest of Ford’s monologue. Bill Cipher had JUST told him that he wasn't going to do that apocalypse stuff. It was just going to be harmless pranks on the other townspeople, not bring about doomsday!  
“I just want you to be okay, Stan. I made a horrible mistake many, many years ago because he lied to me. I don’t want something to happen and…” Ford cut off, welling with emotion. Stanley’s expression was too-wide eyed, not like his brother at all.  
“Ok.” Stan whispered. “I hear you.”  
_But I’m not listening._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of two of the updates I bring you today.


	4. An Awful Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ford and Stanley both mess up, and Stanley makes a horrible decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter for you guys: Buckle up!  
> Trigger warning for manipulation. This is the chapter where that comes in to play.

“Hey, Bill! I’m editing the deal!” Stan called into the mindscape. In a poof, Bill appeared, cane in hand.  
“COME ON FEZ, TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED!” Bill bowed.  
“Okay...you have to promise that when we’re sowing chaos on the town, it’s all gonna be harmless pranks on the other people. No killing, maiming, whatever, none.”  
“HM...OKAY. I CAN WORK WITH THAT.”  
“Also, you have to stay away from my family. They are **off-limits**.” Stan actually growled at that one. The image of Bill torturing his brother or separating the kids-  
~~(It was disgustingly familiar.)~~  
“I’LL AGREE TO THOSE TERMS AS WELL. NO PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HARM SHALL COME TO THEM, I PROMISE!” Bill crossed his bowtie and put up a Scout’s Honor symbol.  
“Okay. That’s our new deal. Not agreeing to it yet, we still need to tal-”  
A loud thump from behind made Stan whip his head around, just in time to see...  
“Ford? What’re you doing here?” Stan said, utterly confused. This was his head, his dream. Why was he here?  
“Stanley, step away from the demon.” Ford got out his gun, pointing it at Bill. Bill slowly snaked his arm around Stan’s shoulder, eventually plunging his hand INSIDE his ghost-chest. “Stanley!”  
It was cold. His left eye was suddenly blacked-out, and he could feel a strange warmth resonating from that eye. He could hear himself talking, but he didn’t have control of his own mouth.  
That’s so cool. He didn’t know Bill could do that!  
~~(A white room, blue flames, Bill screaming, a picture frame with Stan and the kids, a handshake to save the world-)~~  
~~(But as soon as it came those memories were gone)~~  
Bill removed his hand and suddenly Stanley had control and sight in his left eye. He was still grinning, but Ford looked horrified. Stan’s smile fell immediately at Ford’s fear.  
“LIKE IT OR NOT, I’M STILL IN HIS HEAD FOREVER SINCE _THE DEAL_ , STANFORD,” Bill cackled. “HE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE A DEAL NOW WHILE HE CAN GET THE BEST TERMS OUT OF IT.”  
“Tha’s kinda true…” Stanley murmured to himself.  
For looked at his brother, pure disbelief in his eyes.  
“N-no, It’s not true, Stanley! You have to, you have to leave with me, you have to-” Ford was starting to go into a panic. Stanley rushed to his brother’s side, holding him close.  
“Okay, Bill, we’re gonna leave. He needs to calm down.” Stanley picked up Ford, rubbing soothing circles into his back.  
“THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE. SEE YOU LATER PINES!”  
Bill snapped his fingers and the two Pines brothers were awake again.

Stanley was ESPECIALLY awake, as the second he opened his eyes he had gotten punched in the face.  
“O-ow, Ford, what-”  
“Why the HELL were you even considering making a deal with him? He’s dangerous, he- he just- he-”  
“Sixer, calm down, please. Please, Sixer, you’re okay,” he whispered to Ford. “Breathe with me, Stanford. In, out. In, out.”  
Slowly, Ford’s hyperventilating stopped and became more normal.  
“Stanley, you don’t remember what Bill did, do you?” Ford laughed bitterly. “Of course you don’t. Of course you don’t. Of course you don’t! Of all of the-”  
“Ford, I’m sorry, I don’t know, it was just that-”  
“I don’t want to hear it.”  
And right then, Ford stood up and left.  
As the door slammed behind him, Bill Cipher slowly formed beside Stan.  
“I DON’T MEAN THIS AS AN INSULT, BUT YOUR BROTHER IS UNTRUSTWORTHY,” Bill said out of nowhere. Of course he was watching their argument, why wouldn’t he? “IF YOU HAD YOUR MEMORIES, THEN MAYBE YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO RECONNECT WITH HIM BETTER.”  
“I know your game, Bill.”  
“STILL THOUGH. I MEAN IT. DID HE TELL YOU HOW HE ERASED YOUR MIND? IT WASN’T ME. I’M PRETTY SURE YOU WERE FORCED TO GET ERASED IN HIS PLACE.”  
Stan reeled back like he was slapped in the face.  
“H-he wouldn’t.”  
“HE’S HOLDING SECRETS, FEZ. EVER NOTICED THAT WHEN YOU ASK HIM TO GO IN THE LAB BEHIND THE VENDING MACHINE, HE FREAKS OUT?”  
“Yeah…”  
“HE’S HIDING SOMETHING DOWN THERE. SOMETHING HE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO SEE.”  
“But why…? Maybe it’s a trigger for bad memories. Maybe he’s just protecting me.” Stan softly covered his ears. But he wanted to know. He needed to know.  
“I’M JUST SAYING. IF OUR DEAL IS MADE, THEN MAYBE HE’LL ACTUALLY TELL YOU THINGS INSTEAD OF HIDING THEM.”  
“I…”  
Cipher faded away softly, but his words rattled around in his head. Stanley walked down the stairs, heart sinking with every step. At the bottom of the stairs was his brother.  
“Ford? Ford, I’m sorry-”  
“Go away, Stanley.”  
“Ford, I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have said what I did.”  
“Go away Stanley. Please, just...leave me alone.”  
“Ford, can you tell me what I did wrong so I can apologise for it?”  
“YOU- You don’t even think you did anything wrong?!? Just leave me alone. I don’t want to talk with you anym- right now.” Ford said softly, walking away again.

Stan’s head buzzed with despair.  
“I’M SORRY ABOUT HIS REACTION, STANLEY. BUT, MAYBE THINK ABOUT OUR DEAL?”  
“Go away Bill.”  
“JUST THINK. HE’D BE PROUD OF YOU, YOU KNOW? DOING SOMETHING ON YOUR OWN. GETTING YOUR MEMORIES BACK QUICKER. I’VE SEEN THE WAY HE LOOKS AT YOU WHEN YOU HAVEN’T REMEMBERED SOMETHING NEW IN A WHILE. IF YOU CAN’T REMEMBER YOUR LIFE STORY SOON, HE MIGHT ABANDON YOU.”  
“He wouldn’t-”  
“I’M NOT SAYING THIS TO BE RUDE OR TO INSULT HIM, STANLEY. YOU KNOW THAT HE HIDES THINGS. THAT HE’S NOT PROUD. THAT HE’S IGNORING YOU AND BRUSHING YOU OFF RIGHT NOW.”  
“...and what about it?”  
“IF YOU TOOK THE DEAL, THEN HE WOULDN’T IGNORE YOU EVER AGAIN. EVER. YOU, WITH ALL OF YOUR MEMORIES, WITH YOUR LOVING BROTHER AND THE KIDS BY YOUR SIDE. ALL FOR THE PRICE OF JUST A LITTLE CHAOS.”  
“I just…” Stanley looked down, darkness on his face.  
“JUST THINK ABOUT STANLEY. JUST THINK.”  
Stanley wanted Ford to be proud, but he knew this wasn’t the way to go about it. He knew this wasn’t going to turn out well. He knew this, so why was he telling Bill-  
“Sure.”  
“YOU WON’T REGRET THIS, STANLEY. DON’T WORRY. YOU’LL MAKE HIM SO PROUD. HE’LL NEVER IGNORE YOU AGAIN.” Bill put out his hand to shake, the blue flames crackling and swirling. Stanley lost himself in those flames for a moment, letting himself imagine Ford’s disapproval of the idea.  
But it didn’t matter anymore.  
“It’s a deal.”  
It’s just some harmless pranks, right?  
Bill Cipher’s eye widened, and in his eye he saw countless horrors. _He saw Ford screaming._  
“YOU’VE MADE AN EXCELLENT DECISION, PINES. AN EXCELLENT DECISION.”  
“W-wait, please-I take it back-”  
The demon disappeared, but Stan could feel something _insanely, unbelievably cold_ travelling up his veins, from his hand, and up to his head. Dread settled in his stomach, traveling up to his throat as cold as what was in his veins.  
Stanley had made a mistake, a mistake, an awful mistake-  
He blacked out for a moment, but only for a moment- The cold had gotten to him, and he had screamed for someone to help-  
And Sixer came running.  
“Oh my gosh, Stanley, are you ok?” At least, that’s what Stan thinks he was saying, because it was all blocked out between the screaming in his head and the cold, the cold, the cold-  
“Lee? Stanley, please!”  
“Grunkle Stan?” came the voices of the kids. “Are you okay?”  
But the voice he heard the clearest was Bill’s maniacal laughter as he passed out.  
_**He had made a terrible mistake, and one that he might not live to take back.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Stanley.  
> If only this could've prevented (cough cough, Ford, cough cough.)


	5. Shards of Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford and the kids discover Stanley's mistake and are at a loss over what to do next.
> 
> Somewhere in Stan's mind, Bill has his own plan, better formed than the Pines's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short-er chapter this time, but I have a bunch of stuff lined up soon :)

`“Stanley…? Are you okay?” Stanford asked. Stanley’s eyes were closed and his head was slack on the stairway. Panic built in Stanford’s throat as he tried to shake his brother into consciousness. _He had just wanted Stan to leave him alone, but he hadn’t wanted this, never this-_  
Stanley mumbled something under his breath. ~~Thank god.~~  
“Grunkle Stan, what did you say?” Dipper asked gently.   
“Yeah, can you repeat that, Grunkle Stan?” Mabel asked...less gently.  
“I SAID…” Stanley said in two voices, one too high and one normal. Stan slowly looked up...and his eyes were yellow. “NEVER BETTER, FORDSIE!”  
And in that one moment, Ford’s world shattered like glass.  
“Bill!” Ford screamed, getting out his gun. The kids scrambled behind Ford, clutching his coat. Each shattered piece dug deep into his mind. _You could've fixed this, Ford. You've doomed him again, Ford._  
“B-but he’s dead! He’s supposed to be dead!” Dipper mumbled, slowly collapsing in on himself.  
“HEY FORDSIE, WANNA KNOW WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOUR BROTHER?” Bill-Stan said, smiling too large for his brother’s face.  
“No, let him go-”  
“HE’S SO GULLIBLE. ALL IT TOOK WAS A FEW LIES ABOUT HOW _PROUD YOU’LL BE OF HIM_ AND HE BECAME PUTTY IN MY HANDS!” Bill laughed, and Ford’s vision flashed red.  
Was Ford’s pride really that important? Important enough for Stanley to make a deal with a demon?   
He was going to kill the triangle for this. Literally.  
“I hate you!” Dipper screamed, attacking Stan’s body. Ford’s world crashed around him. What sort of messed up world was this, where Bill and Stan...?  
“BY THE WAY, STANLEY’S CONSCIOUSNESS IS STILL IN THE ROOM. HE’S NEXT TO YOU,” Bill said to Mabel, pointing to the air next to her. “AW, IS SOMEONE POUTING, YA LITTLE BABY? STAN, GET UP AND HELP ME.” Bill taunted the apparently-invisible consciousness of Stanley in the corner.  
Apparently, Bill got no response.  
“WELL, THING IS, I CAN’T HURT YOU THREE. HE MADE THAT VERY CLEAR. BUT.” Bill walked to the top of the stairs. “WANNA SEE HIM FALL DOWN THE STAIRS ONTO A SWITCHBLADE?”  
“Bill, no-!” Ford ran to the top of the stairs, holding Stan- no, Bill in place.  
“C’MON FORDSIE, LEMME GO FORDSIE, C’MON-” Bill struggled in his grip, but he couldn’t escape. Ford tied up his brother, staring deep into Bill’s eyes with hatred.  
But for a second, those yellow eyes were gone, replaced with Stan’s eyes.  
It was only for a moment, but just long enough to make Ford feel even more awful then he already was.  
“Kids, Bill only has power over a person’s body when they’re passed out or sleeping. Since Stan passed out, he’s Bill until he regains consciousness. He’ll...be fine soon.”  
“Great Uncle Ford, are you sure?” Dipper asked, quivering. Ford cursed to himself, he can't afford to show fear over Stan right now. He's worrying the kids.  
“I’m sure.” He wasn’t sure at all, but he had to pretend to be for the children’s sake. He had to be strong.  
He had to be.


	6. Mr. Eclipse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan and Bill wake up and have a discussion. First with Ford, and then with each other.  
> A plan forms.

Every thirty minutes or so, Stanford would shake his brother awake to see if Bill had gone away. He had only gotten good results once.  
This was that time.  
“Stanley? Are you there?” Stanford whispered, shaking him. “Has Bill left yet?”  
Stanley was silent.  
“Stan? Are you okay?” Panic slowly raised in Ford’s chest.  
“You were right.” Stanley whispered.  
“Lee?” Ford held onto Stanley’s jacket, looking at Stan’s averted eyes. “Lee, you’re back!”  
“I’m an idiot, Ford. Just like Pa said.”  
That one sentence felt like slapped Stanford across the face.  
“No you’re not, you j-just, you made a mistake!” Ford didn’t even know what to say.  
“Bill tricked me, Pointdexter. I fell for his obvious lies when I shouldn’t have, a-and-'' Stan's voice raised with emotions in the few words. “A-and I can't even wipe my tears with my hands tied behind my back.” His voice deflated.  
“Stanley, I’m so sorry, but Bill-”  
“I like him less now. He just thinks he can poke around my brain willy-nilly? All for a single piece of paper. But...the kids beat him. So maybe I can too?”  
For a single, fleeting moment Ford thought that Stan had remembered Weirdmaggedon.  
But he apparently didn’t.  
“I know you can do this, Stanley. If he violates the deal in any way, shape, or form, you can call the deal off. He’ll be out of your head in no time.”  
There was an uncomfortable pause before Stanley answered.  
“Sure IQ,” he said quietly. “Sure. Anyway, I think he’s going to come back soon.”  
_He’s changing the subject._  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah.”  
All Ford could think about was what Bill said about his manipulation of his brother, the awful lies about Ford being not proud-  
The silence between the two brothers was deafening, and it was like that until Stan slumped over and Bill returned.  
“HEY FORDSIE. MISS ME?”  
Ford hissed. “Get out of my brother, Bill.”  
“YOU CAN’T HURT ME AND YOU KNOW IT. ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT I CAN’T HURT YOU OR THE KIDS OR THE DEAL IS OFF.” Bill looked thoughtful. “BUT…”  
Pure dread. That special tone in Bill’s voice was never good, ever.  
“THERE WAS NOTHING IN THIS DEAL ABOUT HIS OWN BODY…”  
“Don’t you **dare**.” Ford growled, seeing red.  
“WITH WHAT AUTHORITY? YOU CAN’T HURT ME WITHOUT HURTING STAN. YOU WOULDN’T DARE.” Bill laughed, and it was an awful sound.  
“B-be quiet.”  
“ANYWAY. THIS BODY’S COMFORTABLE-” Bill punctuated that sentence by making Stan do jazz hands- “MAYBE I’LL STAY IN IT FOREVER!”  
Bill laughed at how the color drained from Ford’s face in fear. _He couldn’t lose Stanley, not when he had just got him back, not again not again-_  
“I BET THAT’LL B-” Bill suddenly tipped his head to the side, pausing before letting out a bunch of ‘fine’ and ‘uh-huh’s at some invisible being.  
“WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL. WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? STANLEY, WANTING A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH ME? TO WHAT DO I HAVE TO HONOR?”  
“Stanley…?” Ford knew that sometimes, if Bill was careless enough, full possession of a host was just pushing out the spirit from the body.  
~~(He’d never done that with Ford though. Ford couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. Dipper had said it was awful.)~~  
“COUGH COUGH,” Bill said out loud. “THAT’S YOUR CUE TO LEAVE, FORDSIE. PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR BROTHER. NOT INCLUDING YOU.”  
“Wh-” Ford literally could not comprehend trusting Bill to be alone with his brother. “No way. Absolutely not.”  
“YOU’RE FORGETTING THAT THIS IS A HOSTAGE SITUATION, SIXER.” Bill looked Ford directly in the eye, and Ford almost cried at those golden awful eyes being on Stanley’s face. “YOU’RE FORGETTING THAT I CAN DO...THIS.”  
One of Bill's eyes closed before opening again.  
Opening as Stan’s eye.  
“Sixer…?” said Stan’s voice. One of his eyes was still Bill’s, but it was undeniably him. “He has control of my body, all I can do is talk and move my eyes- OW!”  
Stanley cried out in pain as Bill forced Stan’s wrists to struggle against the rope until the skin turned ugly red-  
“Don’t hurt him!” Ford yelled, stopping Stanley’s wrists from moving. His stomach flipped in disgust at _Bill_ , the demon who would even dare to hurt his brother. “I’m leaving, I’m leaving. But if you hurt him, Cipher, we’ll kill you a second time.” Ford spat at him.  
Stan closed his eyes again and opened them as Bill.  
Ford walked out of the room at a snail's-pace, closing the door just as fast.  
He could’ve sworn that Bill had whispered “I’D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY” right as the door shut. 

“So, Bill, why did you lie?” Stan asked to break the silence.  
“WHATEVER DO YOU MEAN, STANLEY?” said Bill in a mockingly innocent tone. He rapidly blinked his eyes- Stan’s eyes- and it made Stan uncomfortable.  
“Why’d you lie ‘bout me wanting us to talk one-on-one?” _Give me my body back or I swear to moses, you nacho looking-_  
“BECAUSE YOUR BROTHER WOULDN'T LEAVE ANY OTHER WAY.”  
That sentence made Stan uneasy. Did Bill and Ford have some sort of rivalry, or…?  
“...Ooooh-kay, Bill. I trust you. Well, not really, but I trust you a little bit.” Stan went quiet for a second. “Even after the rope burn thing. That wasn’t cool.”  
“SORRY ABOUT THAT. ANYWAY, I HAVE SOMETHING REAL IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS WITH YOU.”  
“What is it?” Stan groaned, knocking his head against the wall.  
“WE’RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT FORD’S HIDING IN THE BASEMENT.” Bill turned the head of Stanley’s body to smile at the real Stan.  
“...Stop that. ‘S creepy,” was all Stan could come up with in response.  
“IS THAT THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON HERE?”  
Stan had no clue how to respond, just staring at Bill with his mouth opening and closing.  
“I...really don’t think tha’s a good idea.” Stanley looked away, shifting uncomfortably.  
“WHY?”  
“Because-”  
“BECAUSE WHY?”  
“Because-”  
“BECAUSE W-?”  
“Because Ford’ll be mad at me!” Stan yelled, his face in his knees from exasperation. ~~(Totally not from embarrassment, whoever told you that is a liar and a fraud.)~~  
“STANLEY, LET’S THINK OF IT THIS WAY.” Bill his stolen hand on Stan’s forearm. “DO YOU GET MAD AT THE MOON FOR AN ECLIPSE?”  
“N-no, that stuff’s supposed ta happen.” _What’s your game, Cipher?_ Stanley thought to himself, giving Bill a weird look.  
“YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MEMORIES OF WHAT’S DOWN IN THAT BASEMENT. THOSE MEMORIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE,” Bill said, flicking Stan’s head. “YOU’RE AN ECLIPSE, STANLEY PINES. THAT’S HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE.”  
Stan had to admit, Bill made a pretty good point.  
“But why do you need me? Can’t you just...go down there yourself?”  
“WELL STANLEY. SINCE I’M IN _YOUR_ HUMAN FLESHBAG BODY, I DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO MY NORMAL ARRAY OF POWERS.”  
Stan went to speak, but Bill cut him off.  
“THAT MEANS NO BURNING OFF RESTRAINTS OR BLASTING AWAY LOCKS. OR FLOATING. YOU’RE THE ONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO ESCAPE THESE-” he motioned to Stan’s possessed hands, which were still tied behind his back, “THEREFORE, I NEED YOUR HELP.” Bill smiled and Stan shuddered. He didn’t think that image was ever going to not be creepy.  
“Stillll don’t trust you.”  
“THAT’S FINE, FEZ. JUST TO PROVE TO YOU THAT I CAN BEHAVE, WE’LL HAVE SPLIT CONTROL OF THE BODY. HECK, YOU GET 75% CONTROL, I DON’T CARE! LET’S GO, MR. ECLIPSE.”  
“...fine.”  
It was a strange feeling. Stan blinked one second, and the next he was back in his body again, seeing out of only one eye.  
After an hour of shimmying (and a wrist that hurt like hell- is it dislocated?), Stan and Bill finally slipped away from the ropes. A similar amount of effort with the locked door eventually gave way to a dark hallway.  
“OUR PLAN IS A GO, STANLEY!” Bill cheered softly.  
“Why did he lock us up like that though…?” Stanley asked nobody in particular.  
“HE MAY HAVE TRIED TO LOCK US AWAY, TO KEEP HIS SECRETS, BUT THINGS CHANGE.” Stan could feel Bill smiling. “THINGS CHANGE.”  
Stan already was starting to have doubts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed reading this!  
> Leave a comment if you want, I'll respond in an hour because I practically live down there.  
> Have a great day, and remember to social distance!


	7. Memory is a weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill takes advantage of an inopportune moment to sow more chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: panic attacks in this chapter. If that triggers you, please sit this chapter out! Please stay safe!

The previously locked door creaked open into an empty hallway. The dark was so thick it was almost blinding, but Stan had lived in the Shack for long enough to know his way without sight.  
It didn’t help that Bill wouldn’t shut up though.  
“WE’LL MEET AGAIN,” Bill sang obnoxiously, “DON’T KNOW WHERE, DON’T KNOW WHEN! OH I KNOW WE’LL MEET AGAIN, SOME SUNNY DAY~!”  
“Bill, can ya please be quiet?” Stan sighed, making his way down the stairs.  
“Nope.”  
And then it was silent.

And at that very time, possibly the most inconvenient thing happened.  
A white haze settled slowly over Stan’s mind, eating away at his thoughts. _Huh, I’m in the Shack, but it sure is dark. What am I doing again?_ Stan thought to himself, pausing his steps.  
Bill sighed. “UGH, A MEMORY LAPSE? NOW? SERIOUSLY STANLEY?” The man in question flinched at Bill’s tone.  
“Moses, whaddya want me to say, I’m sorry? I can’t control when the universe decides ta screw me over!” He realized he was being a little too loud and quieted his volume. “Can you please just tell me what we’re doing?”  
“ONLY IF I CAN KEEP BEING ANNOYING!” Bill said in his usual incredibly annoying fashion.  
“You’re weird, Bill.”  
“OF COURSE I AM!” Somewhere, in Stan’s head he could feel Bill smiling. Somehow.  
Stanley sighed, sitting down on the steps behind him. “You gonna tell me what we’re doing, or what?”  
“OR WHAT. JOKING!” Bill laughed, making Stan’s hand press on the side of his head. “WE’RE GOING TO CHECK ON THE PORTAL OF COURSE. WE’RE SO CLOSE TO GETTING OL’ SIXER BACK, YOU CAN’T STOP NOW.”  
Somewhere in Stanley’s head told him that this explanation wasn’t truthful, but Stan shrugged it off. I mean, this guy knows what he’s talking about, right? Stanley’s the one with memory lapses after all.  
“UP WE GO! LET’S GO, KNUCKLEHEAD.” Bill forced Stan to get up. Blood rushed to his head at the sudden movement, but Bill currently had control of the body. “I’M GOING TO HELP YOU GET FORD BACK!”  
“I’m sorry! Let’s go, let’s go. How close are we to getting him back? Do the kids know?” Stan cringed. He sure was a horrible brother, it didn’t matter if he was tired. He had to work on the portal.  
“WE’RE SUPER CLOSE. THE KIDS DON’T KNOW.”  
Stan typed a familiar code into the vending machine, letting muscle memory take over. He cringed for a moment when he heard a door upstairs open. Heck, one of the kids was probably awake, but he couldn’t go back now. They didn’t know about the room behind the vending machine, after all.  
It was muscle memory, pure instinct that took him from the stairs behind the vending machine to the elevator and downwards to the portal.  
~~(Or maybe it was Bill?)~~  
Even as the triangle screeched about somethin’ or other in his head, he actually managed to space out and let his thoughts wander. Would the kids like Ford? Would Ford like the kids? (Of course he would, everybody liked the kids.)  
~~(Would Ford still like him?)~~  
Stan shook the thoughts off when he advanced into the portal room, turning the lights on.  
And his world shattered.

The portal...It was in shambles. There was no coming back from this. All of his work...Everything he had worked for, it was broken on the floor.  
“OH.”  
“I don’t- I don’t understand, what happened, I can’t come back from this, I can’t-” Somehow, Stan found himself curled up on the floor. His vision tunneled and his heartbeat quickened. “What happened? What- I-”  
“C-CALM DOWN, YOU IDIOT! YOU’RE BEING TO LOUD!” Ironic, since that was coming from Bill.  
Stanley couldn’t help it, he was hyperventilating and couldn’t control his breathing...Footsteps were coming down the hallway, but he couldn’t even care. The walls were closing in on him, oh god, oh god the portal was unfixable-  
“I-i can’t fix the portal, I could barely fix it when it wasn’t like this, i, i-” _No, stop crying. Pines men don’t cry. _  
“FEZ, GET UP! WHAT’RE YOU DOING, WHAT’S HAPPENING-?”  
His rational brain was telling him that there was something wrong with the situation, something wasn’t adding up, but every other part was going a mile a minute and yelling-  
The footsteps ran in, and suddenly Bill was gone, having left.  
“Stanley? Why are you down here?” said…Ford. But how? That’s impossible.  
~~(It’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible, it’s impossible-)~~  
Ford was shaking him, but Stanley just couldn’t keep his eyes open.__

__His eyes slowly slipped shut, and when they opened again, they weren’t Stan’s._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked the chapter, and if you did, please leave a comment! I basically live down in the comment section and it's great hearing from you guys.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry folks, this goes from angsty to more fluffy in the next chapter!  
> If Ford is ooc in this chapter, i'm so sorry! I'm new to writing for him.  
> And please note that the Bill Cipher tag is there for a reason. ;)


End file.
